Archaeological Iron: Context · Corrosion · Conservation
International Conference in Mainz
International Conference on 13–14 August 2026 at the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) in Mainz, dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of archaeological iron.
The conference focuses on how find context, material properties, corrosion processes and conservation interventions jointly shape both the present condition of objects and their archaeological interpretation. Its aim is to bring these perspectives together in order to better understand the role of iron as a source of historical information.
The programme is structured into three thematic sections. The first addresses the production, technology and provenance of archaeological iron. The second focuses on corrosion processes and states of preservation from a scientific perspective. The third section examines conservation and restoration treatments as part of the object’s biography and considers their impact on interpretation.
With international participation, the conference seeks to encourage exchange between archaeology, the natural sciences and conservation-restoration, and to stimulate new research approaches and collaborations.
Registration
Please use our form to register for the event. You will usually receive a registration confirmation within 1–3 working days.
Programme
13:00 – 13:20 |
Welcome |
Session 1: Context
Chair: Gerhard Eggert
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| 13:20 – 13:50 | Roland Schwab, Mainz Metallurgy of pre-industrial iron: from the bloomery to the finery | |
| 13:50 – 14:20 | Guntram Gassmann, Tübingen Iron smelting centres in Germany from Iron Age to Medieval times | |
| 14:20 – 14:50 | Pedro Baptista, Coimbra, Bastian Asmus, Freiburg, Ralph Araque Gonzalez, Freiburg Early iron and technology transfer in Late Bronze Age Western Iberia: contexts, physical properties and uses | |
| 14:50-15:20 | Coffee break | |
Sektion 2: Corrosion
Chair: Roland Schwab
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| 15:20 – 15:50 | Gerhard Eggert, Stuttgart ‘Rust never sleeps’ - Stuttgart students, steely studies | |
| 15:50 – 16:20 | David Thickett, London Iron corrosion and developing tools to allow more sustainable environmental control decisions | |
| 16:20 – 16:50 | Nicola Emmerson, Cardiff
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Laboratory tours
| 18:15 – 19:00 | Evening lecture Christopher Pare, Mainz |
| 19:00 – 21:00 | Dinner Barbecue |
Session 3 Conservation
08:30 – 09:00
| Stephanie Gasteiger, München Archaeological iron finds – the big challenge for heritage conservation |
09:00 – 09:30
| Marlene Schmucker, Mainz und Jelena Rieg, Mainz KulturGutRetter: Notversorgung von archäologischem Eisen |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | Sylvie Labroche, Nantes Stabilisation of ferrous archaeological objects from underwater Contexts |
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Francisco Rodriguez, Mainz From impregnation to desalination: Historical development of archaeological iron conservation treatments in the context of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (Mainz) |
10:30 - 11:00
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Coffee break |
Chair: Stephanie Gasteiger | ||
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Emily Williams, Durham Iron in the Melsonby Hoards: Contextualizing a conservation challenge | |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Ulrike Lehnert, Mainz und Stephan Patscher, Mainz "Mehr Schein als Sein?" – Beobachtungen zu Verzierungstechniken an wikingerzeitlichen Steigbügeln | |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Katarina Milosavljević, Belgrade und Martin Schönfelder, Mainz A Late Iron Age grave from Vajuga Pesak (Serbia): analysis, conservation and research on the iron finds | |
Chair: Ingrid Stelzner | ||
| 12:30 – 13:00 | Concluding discussion and outlook | |
Venue
13-14 August 2026
Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie
Ludwig-Lindenschmit-Forum 1, D-55116 Mainz
Organization
- Ingrid Stelzner, LEIZA Mainz
- Roland Schwab, LEIZA Mainz
- Francisco Rodriguez, LEIZA Mainz
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Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie
Ludwig-Lindenschmit-Forum 1, 55116 Mainz
Contact: ingrid.stelzner(at)leiza.de